Vending machine



M. L. MELETIO VENDING MACHINE July 5,'1927. 1,634,911

Filed Jan. 6. 1926 a 1 A E 704/ WILL SVDCEED W .SVCEREEFHMT HW WE FMPWUFE Yau @Nl/V MONEY Elm/LY B07 MWFRIENSH/P w IS WSWGERE U POFITW THE TOMROWN BUT )UU DONO?" Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES; parametrica,

MONROE I.. MELETIO, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

VENDING' Application filed January these profit-sharing vending machines have been held to be gambling devices and their owners now have expensive machines on their hands without any use for them since all sales attraction is lost if there is no result tothe spinning of the character wheels. lVith .the foregoing conditions in mind, the principal object of my invention is to provide an interchangeable front for profitsharing vending machines that eliminates the element of chance in making sales.

Another object is to provide a card on which each character represented on each wheel is givenv a meaning, said meaning litting in any combination to form sentences.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of 'construction and varrangement ofL parts,ihereinafter more fully described and claimed,- and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved vending machine.

Figure 2 is a rear View showing the cashdoor removing arrangement,

Figure 3 isa fragmentary view of theV fortune-telling card. f

Figure a is a fragmentary perspective view of the vending machine in its original form with provision for delivery of profit sharing.

, The Vnumeral 1 in the drawings indicates a profit-sharingtype of vending machine having mechanism therein for unlocking the delivery chute 2 and rotating the character wheels 3, 1, and 5, Which'mechanism Vforms no part of my present invention. y

lThe coin chtite 6 charges the profit-sharing chute 7 to capacity with checks and when coins or yadditional checksk are introduced for the Operation of said machine they are by-passed through chute 8 into a reservoir 9. Profit-sharing chute 7 in the gambling.l

type of machine terminates ina pocket on the exterior of the front and extending into [them for periods of time. tories have seasonal demands and it is fre- MACHINE.

6,1926.' serial No. 79,583,

the face, but, in the present non-gambling type of vender, l divert this chute interiorly of the machine, provide a flared skirtv on the front which conceals the pocket, and pro-v vide a'reservoir 10 to receivefthe profitsharing checks'and retain them when the mechanism of the device acts to make a delivery. A large door 11 is provided to permit the removal of the main drawer or reservoir 9 and a small relief door 12 is locatedadjacent to opening 10a in reservoir v10 to permit the removal of such excess profit-sharing checks which in time accumalate in reservoir 10 to such an extent as to interfere with the proper operation of the machine.

Figure 11 is illustrative of the vending machine in its original form. rFhe numeral 20 indicates the profit-sharing delivery pocket in front 21. 2971s .the lower portion of the profit-sharing delivery chute whichis removed'y with frontj 21 to permit the positioning of the reservoir 10 and the diversion of the main portion of the chute which is bent to the desired position by the .application of the non-gambling type front 23. The front'21 is held in place by a series of studs (not shown) which are only accessibley through the locked door 9 in the rear of the machine. To eect the conversion into a non-gambling type machine heretofore described, the front 21 is removed and the front member 28 installed in its place as shown in Figure 1. Y

'It lshould be understood that these machines'are put out by distributors who lease Certain terriquently found to be a condition that a district which docs a largeibusiness with these venders in one season allows the distribution of profit-sharing checks tothe customers, while an adjoining district doing a large business at another season of the year forbids this distribution by interpreting it as gambling. It can be'readily seen that with these conditions it is very advantageous to have interchangeable machines to meet these requirements, especially so where the initial cost ofthe device is great, as in the present instance. y

The rotatable wheels 3, 4, and 5 are each provided with characters `so indicated by numerals 13, 1&1, 15 and 16. In the gambling type of machin-e, the arrangement of these characters under arrowv 17 determines ion itl

whether or .not there any p1oiiteli:1ring, and, it so, to what extent. This 'feature is a great sales producer and to incorporate it in my noibgamhlin vender fl provide :11 card 'i8 whicn contains a liet` oi' each character on cach Wheel. This card 18 is adapted to he retained in trame Qt) on the 'front ot the Vender and worte 19 are printed with each character so that with any combination oit the characters on wheels Ll, and 5 refer ence 111:11* lie made to the Similar characters on card 1S and the eoi'nhination of Words reiierrcd to will iform a sentence which, in the present case, ie shown as a 'fortnneteller. `For cxamplez-The conihination indicated under ari-onv li' in lfieure l ot the drawings ia a hunch ot cherries lli on the tiret n'hech :1 plum t3 on the Second Wheel, and :1 hell lo on the third n'hocl. Reference to the card given the tollowiingl Afortune 'for thie` :"omhimition:-You gain money by sincere etl'ort hut. you do not appreciate Your good fortune.

lt will he found that an;7 possible combination oi cheaclere will form a Sentence complete in iteell" which tells a fortune.

The application oll my non-gambling); equipment to a protit-slmrimr type of vendinn machine is very simple, constituting principally a change in the lront of the machine rhich in merelyv locked on. The cost ot melting' thee@ intercinmgieable parte very Small and the additional use ol the machim` is coinnaratively great.

lt is to he underetood that minor changes; `in the Size, form and construction ot the various parte oi.E my iniproved vending' nmchine ma)T he made and substituted for those herein xehown and described, Wit-hout depart- `from the Spirit of my invention :1e cx- 'eesod in the appended claims. lA claim:

i.. An interchangeahle trent for a plotitsharing; vending macliino having;` a. plnralit]y ot rotatable character wheels and :1 prot- .it-Sharing' delivery chute, Said 'front being;- so constructed that when it is applied to the veiiding;- machine it encloses and conceals said prott--Sharing delivery chute and diverte the articles from said pi'oiibsliaring delivery chute Within the vending machine, and a card on Said front. having Words for each character on each et Said wheels, Said Words beingl adapted 'to lit together in anyY combination indicated hy Said wheels to .toi-n1 a sentence.

2. A vending machine oi" the ynfotithal ino' type having :1 pront-sharinl;T deliver)Y chute and :1n interchangeable ,ti-ont, Said 'trent heilig; constructed to enclos-:e said prot.- it.-:=,l1arin chute `within Huid Vending! nn1- chine when applied thereto.

Irl. A. vimding machine oi' the profit-ehering type haring a prolit-marin@- chute a de livery pocket, and an interchangeahle front. :nid trent beinfin conetructed to conceal said delivery pocket when applied to Said vendmi:l machine.

4l. A vending; machine ot the profit-Sharing type having' a protit-sln1ring` delivery chute and an interchangeable iront, Said iront being constructed to enclose said prof it-Sharini chute Within Said vending ma chine when applied thereto, and divert its discharge n'ithin the machine.

ln testimony WhereoiE l` hereunto a'tlix my Signature this 31st day of December` 1925. MONROE L. MELETIO. 

